Knowing Your Highest Self

The goal of spirituality is knowledge of the supreme self—not the self that is captive in a small body, but the self of all. How can we come to know this highest self?

In this classic video from 1990, released for the first time here, Swami Rama explains that getting rid of all forms of negativity and selfishness will lead us to this knowledge. We do this through the practices of meditation, egoless prayer, and contemplation. First, as Swamiji explains, we transform our negative inner dialogue where we tell ourselves that we are not good enough. Then we work on letting go of the selfish tendencies that limit us. When we truly come to realize that we all breathe the same air—that on the pranic level, we are all the same—then we are no longer able to hate or exclude anyone. We expand beyond our small self. As the story of Nachiketa (hero of the Katha Upanishad) illustrates, this expansion frees us from negativity and brings lasting happiness and spiritual knowledge.